HOLOGRAPHY AND OPTICAL DATA PROCESSING IN AEROSPACE INSTRUMENTATION

RECENTLY DEVELOPED HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES, OPTICAL DATA PROCESSING PRINCIPLES, AND LASER PROPERTIES BENEFICIAL FOR AEROSPACE INSTRUMENTATION ARE REVIEWED. HIGH INTENSITY, HIGHLY COLLIMATED OR DIRECTIONAL, SPATIAL- AND TEMPORAL-COHERENT OPTICAL BEAMS ARE READILY GENERATED WITH PRESENT LASER SYSTEMS. IN OPTICAL HOLOGRAPHY, BOTH THE PHASE AND THE AMPLITUDE OF OPTICAL WAVES ARE RECORDED AS INTENSITY VARIATIONS THAT ARE PRODUCED BY THE INTERFERENCE OF TWO OR MORE OPTICAL WAVES. OPTICAL DATA PROCESSORS USUALLY EMPLOY THE OPTICAL DIFFRACTION PRODUCED BY A SIMPLE LENS. THE ABILITY OF AN OPTICAL LENS TO PERFORM TWO-DIMENSIONAL FOURIER TRANSFORMS AT THE SPEED OF LIGHT IS AN ADVANTAGE WHICH OPTICAL PROCESSORS HAVE OVER CONVENTIONAL ELECTRONIC SYSTEMS. EXPERIMENTAL AND ANALYTICAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE BEING PERFORMED ON SEVERAL HOLOGRAPHIC TECHNIQUES AND ON THE FOLLOWING OPTICAL DATA PROCESSING SYSTEMS: OPTICAL ANALYZERS, FILTERS, SIGNAL CORRELATORS, PATTERN RECOGNITION UNITS, ANALOG COMPUTERS AND SIMULATORS. /AUTHOR/